Electron-discharge device



Fb. 4, 1930. I JLE. FERGuoN ETAL 1,745,921

ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Nov. 20, 1926 .fo/rw gwi kgasa/x BEN/Wf/Wfi 65410121 052 .ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. FERGUSON, or BLOOMFIELD, AND BENJAMIN E. sHAcK LEoED, or EAST ORANGE, NEW-JERSEY, ASSIGNORS 'ro WESTINGHOUSE LAM]? COMPANY, A'CORPO- support members.

RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRON-DISCHARGE DEVICE Application filed November 20, 1926. Seria1 No. 149,566.

This'i'nvention relates to an electrical discharge device and particularly to improvements in the supporting structure for the electrodes thereof. 7

In'the manufacture of thermionicor discharge devices such for example as radio tubes or the like, it is necessary toretain the electrodes in given fixed "relative positions in order that the electrical characteristics of the device may be maintained constant.

The internal construction of a radio tube generally includes a cathode or filament, a grid and an anode or plate. These electrodes are supported upon relatively rigid rods or In practice. however, it has been found that considerable difliculty that the support members will have the necessary strength to resist the movement of the electrodes through impact or vibration during general handling and prevent them from changing their required spaced relation. It

-will be appreciated that any change in the relative positions of the electrodes will cause a consequent change in the electrical characteristics of the tube. v i I Radio tubes when manufactured, are carefully tested and all tubes must meet a standard requirement with respect to the operation of the tube. For the purpose of more rigidly holding the electrodesin their required position, it has heretofore been proposed toemploy an electrical non-conductive bar or spacer member provided with apertures to receive the upper ends of the support members which carry the electrodes Certain spacer members or bars as previously used, also re-l quired that, when the supportlng membersv had been disposed within the provided apertures, a cementitious. or binding electrical non-conductive material such as lead borate be used to anchor the spacer bar in place. Spacer bars of this'type had also been so ar-. .ranged as to.be carried at the ends of the support wiresrand owing to the relatively heavy weight of the bar, the structure was suse ejceptible to vibrationv resulting in microphonic effect.

..;- ;:-,E- Developments in the manufactureof ratubes have, however, made it lmperative to improve the operativene'ss of the tube and t to reduce the amount of labor and time expended in manufacture and to positively pro= duce a-uniform product. It has been'found that with a spacer member of the type hereilrbeforementioned, a considerable loss of time as well as a considerable amount of labor was necessary to apply and adjust the spacer bar, thus adding to the cost of the device and owing to' the geometric arrangement ofthe spacer bar the best results were not obtained.

.An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a spacer member of suitable non-conductive material which ma be expe ditiously and conveniently app ied to a mount structure to maintain electrodes thereof in given positions.

Another object of the invention is'to provide a spacer member which may be readily applied'to the support wires of an electrical device and quickly adjusted to a required position and secured in place with a minimum amount of effort and time.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article in theform of a spacer member for use in connection with radio tubes, so constructed as to be applicable to the support wires of the tube andhaving means associated therewith whereby the member,

may be quickly and conveniently secured in place.

The present invention provides a spacer memberwhich may be made from a sheet of any suitable electrical non conducting mate--v rial such as lavite, isolantite, mica or the like. Ith as been foundpreferable to use a relatively thin sheet ofmica since the same is of relatively light weight and when in posiable apertures through which the ends of sup-' port. wires of a grid may extend and a bushing oran extended eyelet in which a filament support wire may be disposed. The pins and bushing of the support member are preferi ably united to the spacer plate so that the said support member is complete as a unit for rapid application to a radio tube mount or other internal structure of an electrical device.

YVhen the spacer member is in position, the plate and filament. support wires may be clamped or welded to the pins'and bushing respectively. By this arrangement the assembly of the mount or internal structure of the tube is greatly facilitated and amore rigid and durable construction is attained than has heretofore been found possible.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a radiotron mount showing a spacer-member embodying the present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is'a side elevational view of a mount in a bulb and shows the spacer-member in position to illustrate its connection with the anode or plate.

Fig. 3 is an edge View of a radiotron mount showing the spacer-member and its attachment to an anode and to a filament support wire. a

Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional view of the plate and shows the method of attaching the pins which engage with the anode.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the plate showing the bushing for receiving the filament support wire and also illustrating the method of forming a shoulder upon the bushing.

Fig. 6 is an inverted perspective view of the complete spacer-member as constructed .for application to a radiotron mount.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of the spacer member; and

Fig. 8 shows. a lamp stem including a spacer-member, one edge of which is secured by a loop provided in a support wire, the spacer-member being compressed between the sides-of the loop.

Although the present invention may be employed for use "with other electrical devices, a practical embodiment of the same is shown and described herein in connection with a radio tube mount comprised of a bulb a cathode or filament 10, a control electrode or grid 11, and an anode or plate 12. The filament shown is of the inverted V-shape type and the lower ends thereof are secured to support wires 13 and 14, extending from the usual glass apex of the filament is connected to a resilient extension 16 secured to an ofiset support member 17, this latter member being embedded in the press. The grid as shown is comprised of a helically wound wire secured to a pair of support-members 18 and 19 which in turn are secured to support-members 21 and 22'extending upwardly from the press 15. The plate as shown is constructed in the form of a sheet metal enclosure and is provided with laterally disposed tubular porpress 15. The upper end ortions 23 and 24 to receive the ends of support .wires 25 and 26, the support wires being also embedded in press 15. v

The structure just described which is termed a mount would ordinarily be self supporting. As will be noted, the filament, grid and plate are disposed in a certain symmetrical spaced relation; it is important that this spaced relation be maintained and it will be evident that a sudden jar or impact during the handling of the tube might throw one of the elements out of its initial position and thus the electrical characteristics of the tube would be changed or if the distortion of the electrodes was excessive the usefulness of the tube might be destroyed as by a short circuit between the electrodes.

,The spacing of the electrodes is, however, maintained by reason of the present invention which provides a spacer plate or member 27 this plate is provided with a cut-out portion 28 to permit the projection of the upper end of the filament 10. Apertures 29 and 31 are also provided to receive the ends of the support members 18 and 19 of the gridand hold the same in position. The plate 27 is further provided with connector-members in the form of pins 32 and 33'so positioned as to enter the upper ends of the tubular portions 23 and 2 1 respectively of the plate. lVhen the spacer-member 27 isin position, it will be evident that by reason of the pins which fix the relation of the spacer-member to the anode, that the grid will be held in fixed relation thereto. For the purpose of holding the filament in proper relation to the grid, the

spacer plate 1s provlded with a bushing or connector-member 36 to receive the support wire 17.

It will be understood that the spacer plate may be disposed in proper relation to the elements after which the filament or cathode may be adjusted to its proper position and the resilient support member 16 secured as for example by welding to the support-member 17. lVhen the spacer-member is in position it may be held against vertical movement by either welding or clamping the pins and bushing to the plate and support-member. The said bushing and pins may be inserted into the spacer-member during its as-- sembly but it has been found more advantageous to secure these elements to the spacermember so tutes a complete spacer-unit which may be handled more readily and may easily be applied to the mount.

Each of the pins 32 and 33 may as shown more clearly in Fig. 4 be of the escutcheon type and when in place may be provided with a head 37 having a reduced shank-portion 38 of sulficient diameter to snugly fit the ends of the tubular portions 23 and 2 1 of the anode. If desirable these ends may be tapered to more readily adjust the'spacer-member in its that the spacer-member constiproper position The shank 38 being enlarged at 39 serves to hold the pin in position. The bushing 36 may consist of a tubular-member riveted or upset at 42 (see Fig. 5) and provided with a flange or bead 43. An extended portion 44 is provided to more readily supply material to perform the clamping or welding operation to secure the spacer-member to the support wire 17. The bushing may be readily secured in place by forming the bead 43 when the bushing is in its proper position in the spacer-member.

Asshown in Fig. 5, forming tools 45 and 46 may be employed to crimp and rivet the bushing when in an aperture in the spacermember 27. This operation may readily be performed by means of suitable automatic mechanism. The pins 32 and 33 may also be applied and secured in the spacer-member by automatic mechanism. Ifdesirable the pins may also be of tubular form and may be crimped or expanded to secure them to the spacer-member.

When a welding operation is employed for securing the spacer-member to the mount it has been found and advantage to provide the connector-members, that is, the bushing and ins with a coating of nickel or other .layer to facilitate the union of the members with the support wires.

As shown in Fig. 7 a spacer member 50 may be provided with connector members such as the pins 32'and 33 and the means for attaching the spacer-member to the support w1re 17 may comprise a slot 51 to receive the support and a short piece of wire 52 may be twisted about the support 17 on opposite sides of the spacer-member 50 to hold the same in position. The wire serving as a connector in a manner similar ,to the bushing 36.

If desirable, means may be provided for securing the spacer-member-27 to the support wire 17, which include forming the support Wire 17 with a loop 55 which may be compressed to engage theedge of the spacer-mem- 1 ber. By reason of this construction the bushing 36 may be dispensed with. The effect of i this modeof'securing the spacer-member to vention aims not only the support wire is, however, similar in that the said support member or connector means cornpresslvely engages the spacer member. It will be appreciated that the present 1nto provide a spacer member for separating the electrodes but one their novel combination with 'ings are therefore in which may be attached to the mount in a rapid and effective manner.

When employing a non-conductive material as required, it is necessary to associate therewith other connector-members or appendixes unitable to the spacer plate as well as to 'the support wires. The pins and bushthe nature of intermediates and by reason of their functions and the non-0onductive spacer-member a new anddesirable tle non-conductlve spacer-member in position by the provision of means for compressively engaging the member as by the pressed metallic bushing and pins which are connected or made integral with the mount structure.

It is obvious that the invention may be modified as for example, the tubular portions of the plate might extend through apertures in thespacer-member and then be riveted to the end that the spacer-member would be secured in place Such modification as well as others to provide a connection which engages the spacer-member and can he made substantially integral with the mount is believed to fall within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

'1". A mount for an electrical device comprising a press, extending from said press, a cathode, grid and anode mounted on said support wires in spaced relation, said anode having apertures in definite spaced relation, as insulating a plurality of support wires spacer-plate for. insertion into said apertures, said spacer-plate having apertures to receive the support wires upon which other electrodes are mounted to hold the electrodes in fixed spaced relation. 7

2; A mount for an electrical device comprising a press having a plurality of support wires extending therefrom, a filament, grid and anode secured to said support wires, said anode constituting an enclosure for said filament and grid and havinglaterally'tubular portions to receive support wires extending from said press, a spacer-member having projecting portions adapted to enter the tubular portions of said anode to unite the spacermember thereto and means for engaging at least one of said support wires with said spacer-member to maintain the electrodes ina given spaced relation.

3. A mount for an electrical device comprlsing a press having a plurality of support wires extending therefrom, a filament,'gridportions to receive support wires extendingfrom said press, a spacer-member having projecting portions adapted to enter the tu-' bular portions to said anode to unite the spacer-member thereto,,said support member having apertures to receive the ends of other support wires to maintain the electrodes supportedthereon in given spaced relation with said anode.

4. A mount for. an-electrical device comprising a press having support wires extending therefrom, a filament and a grid secured to said support wires, an enclosure for said an anode constituting filament and grid and having laterally tubular portions, support Wires extending into said tubular portions to support said anode, a spacer-member comprising a non-conductive plate and pair ofprojecting pins extending into the tubular. portions of said anode and a tubular member compressively secured to said spacer-member and adjusted on a support wire for said filament, apertures in said plate to receive the ends of the support ires for the grid and means for securing said spacer-member in position to maintain thesupport Wires and electrodes in given spaced relation.

5. A mount for an electrical device comprising a plate electrode having tubular portions in definite spaced relation, a spacermember having connector-members arranged for insertion into said tubular portions so as to accurately fixthe position of said spacermember, and means for engaging other electrodes of said mount with said spacer-memher so as to maintain all the electrodes in given relative positions.

6. A mount for an electrical device com prising a plate electrode, said plate having apertures in given spaced relation, a spacersubscribed our names of an electrode and a tubular sleeve to receive a support member.

11. A spacer element for a mount for a vacuum devi'ce said member being formed from a sheet of insulative material and having projections for insertion into apertures of an electrode of a mount, a tubular member to receive a support member and apertures to receive portions of another electrode to retain the same in given spaced relation with said first mentioned electrode.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto this 18th day of November, 1926.

JOHN E. FERGUSON. BENJAMIN E. SHACKELFORD.

member, pro ectlons on said spacer-member arranged to enter the apertures of said plate and means for securing said projections in said apertures.

7. A mount for an electrical device comprising a plate electrode, said plate having apertures in predetermined spaced relation, a spacer member, connector members compressively engaging opposite surfaces of said spacer-member and arranged to enter the apertures in said plate and means for securing said connector members in said apertures.

8. An electrical device comprising an en velope having a plurality of electrodes therein, a supporting structure for said electrodes, one of said electrodes having tubular portions, a non-conductive spacer member,

projections integral With said member and disposed in said tubular portions of an electrode. and means for securing said .spacer member to said supporting structure.

9. An electrical device comprising an envelope having a plurality of electrodes therein, a supporting structure for said electrodes, one of said electrodeshaving tubular portions, a non-conductive spacer member,

projections integral with said member and disposed in said tubular portions of an elec-' t-rode, said spacer member having apertures to receive portions of another electrode and means for securing said spacer member to said supporting structure. 10. A'spacer element for a mount for a' vacuum device comprising an insulating member of sheet material having extensions projecting. perpendicularly from the surface 7 thereof and disposed in predetermined spaced relation (for insertion into apertures 

